HELP! Road Runner in prison, or any garage door repair guys out there?
OK, here is a common procedure to open an overhead door with broken spring(s).
First, let's assume that you do not have a forklift at your disposal, that would make most of what I'm about to post irrelevant.
- Realize and understand that an overhead door will weigh anywhere from 150 pounds to close to 1000 pounds, depending on size and construction material, (wood or steel) and whether or not it is insulated. In this case, the OP stated that his door is a commercial unit, measuring 18x9 feet, but did not mention what it is made of. I will assume that it is steel, non-insulated, and estimate it's weight at approximately 350 pounds.
-Typically a commercial door will utilize a chain hoist for lifting and lowering the door at minimum, an electric operator is also common, but again, in this case I don't know if one is installed or not.
-Tools required for this task:
2 or more good strong pairs of vise grips
2 lengths of 2x4 or 4x4, (need only be as long as the height needed to get the cars out once the door is open, so 5 feet should be plenty in this instance)
2 good quality ratchet straps, 1000 pound working load limit minimum
A helper if you have one available
1 or 2 ladders, tall enough to reach the top of the door.
Let's get started
First step is to disconnect the electric operator from power, then from the door as it will not lift the door by itself, and will only increase the load you are going to lift.
Do this by pulling the smaller chain if the operator is mounted to the side of the spring shaft, and looks something like this:
You should be able to pull the small chain down and lock it into a bracket, this releases the clutch mechanism inside the operator and allows the door to operate freely. If there is no sass chain, or it is not properly adjusted, you will need to go up to the operator and remove the gear sprocket from the shaft, typically they will have a set screw.
If the operator is mounted from the ceiling, like a typical residential style, it will look like this:
This type requires removal of a pin from the door face bracket usually to disconnect it, meaning you will need to get up on the ladder.
Now, the easy part, using the chain hoist if so equipped, slowly raise the door up, it's going to be f'n heavy so take your time. If the door lifts relatively straight, you can proceed with the chain alone. When you have raised the door a short distance, have your helper clamp the vise grips on each track, below a roller, as tight as possible, this will support the load as you go.
If there is no chain hoist present, or the door lifts on an angle, you will need to use the ratchet straps, attach one end to the lowest roller, the other to a good anchor point about 6 feet off the floor on the outside of the track, and slowly crank the ratchet up, again stopping to clamp the vise grips on each track to prevent the door from dropping, keeping in mind that you have effectively created a heavy guillotine that will maim or kill anyone it falls on.
Once you have reached a height adequate to get your cars out, clamp those vise grips down again, and place the wood blocks on either side as an extra measure of support before attempting to drive out or walk under the door.
I cannot stress enough how potentially dangerous this can be if not done correctly!! If you are at all unsure, please do not attempt!
If you want to close the door again after you have liberated your cars, simply reverse the procedure, lowering the vise grips a few inches at a time to control the descent of the door, as letting it drop from any height above a few inches will result in significant damage to the door itself.
Hope this helps, and again do not attempt if you are at all unsure.
Here is a link to the procedure from a professional repair consultant, and it include how to determine spring sizes and how much they will need to be wound once replaced.
https://www.metrogaragedoor.net/how-to-open-a-garage-door-with-a-broken-spring/#:~:text=Your average garage door weighs,being saturated by heavy rain.
Average Steel Garage Door Weight (With Quick Reference Chart)
OK, here is a common procedure to open an overhead door with broken spring(s).
First, let's assume that you do not have a forklift at your disposal, that would make most of what I'm about to post irrelevant.
- Realize and understand that an overhead door will weigh anywhere from 150 pounds to close to 1000 pounds, depending on size and construction material, (wood or steel) and whether or not it is insulated. In this case, the OP stated that his door is a commercial unit, measuring 18x9 feet, but did not mention what it is made of. I will assume that it is steel, non-insulated, and estimate it's weight at approximately 350 pounds.
-Typically a commercial door will utilize a chain hoist for lifting and lowering the door at minimum, an electric operator is also common, but again, in this case I don't know if one is installed or not.
-Tools required for this task:
2 or more good strong pairs of vise grips
2 lengths of 2x4 or 4x4, (need only be as long as the height needed to get the cars out once the door is open, so 5 feet should be plenty in this instance)
2 good quality ratchet straps, 1000 pound working load limit minimum
A helper if you have one available
1 or 2 ladders, tall enough to reach the top of the door.
Let's get started
First step is to disconnect the electric operator from power, then from the door as it will not lift the door by itself, and will only increase the load you are going to lift.
Do this by pulling the smaller chain if the operator is mounted to the side of the spring shaft, and looks something like this:
You should be able to pull the small chain down and lock it into a bracket, this releases the clutch mechanism inside the operator and allows the door to operate freely. If there is no sass chain, or it is not properly adjusted, you will need to go up to the operator and remove the gear sprocket from the shaft, typically they will have a set screw.
If the operator is mounted from the ceiling, like a typical residential style, it will look like this:
This type requires removal of a pin from the door face bracket usually to disconnect it, meaning you will need to get up on the ladder.
Now, the easy part, using the chain hoist if so equipped, slowly raise the door up, it's going to be f'n heavy so take your time. If the door lifts relatively straight, you can proceed with the chain alone. When you have raised the door a short distance, have your helper clamp the vise grips on each track, below a roller, as tight as possible, this will support the load as you go.
If there is no chain hoist present, or the door lifts on an angle, you will need to use the ratchet straps, attach one end to the lowest roller, the other to a good anchor point about 6 feet off the floor on the outside of the track, and slowly crank the ratchet up, again stopping to clamp the vise grips on each track to prevent the door from dropping, keeping in mind that you have effectively created a heavy guillotine that will maim or kill anyone it falls on.
Once you have reached a height adequate to get your cars out, clamp those vise grips down again, and place the wood blocks on either side as an extra measure of support before attempting to drive out or walk under the door.
I cannot stress enough how potentially dangerous this can be if not done correctly!! If you are at all unsure, please do not attempt!
If you want to close the door again after you have liberated your cars, simply reverse the procedure, lowering the vise grips a few inches at a time to control the descent of the door, as letting it drop from any height above a few inches will result in significant damage to the door itself.
Hope this helps, and again do not attempt if you are at all unsure.
Here is a link to the procedure from a professional repair consultant, and it include how to determine spring sizes and how much they will need to be wound once replaced.
https://www.metrogaragedoor.net/how-to-open-a-garage-door-with-a-broken-spring/#:~:text=Your average garage door weighs,being saturated by heavy rain.
Average Steel Garage Door Weight (With Quick Reference Chart)
